I’m an intuitive cook. Most often I cook whatever will improve my mood – and the mood around here, provided that my pantry and fridge cooperate. So when the weather is beautiful, my mood is usually light and I tend to prepare lighter fare, such as dinner salads, fish or other seafood. When my mood is heavier for whatever reason, I tend to prepare more “warming”, hearty foods. Food therapy, so to speak.

So last night when it was very dark, gloomy, windy and rainy under the feeder bands of TS Isaac, I though I’d make an old-fashioned sausage soup. One that I used to get on chilly winter evenings in my childhood up north. It represents comfort and all things familiar. And it’s easy to make – in many variations.

So last night I found many vegetables and mild Italian sausage in my fridge. I had potatoes (3 large), carrots (3), celery (6 sticks), leaks (2) and parsnips (3) and garlic (2 gloves). I put them on the kitchen counter so my hubby would see them. He loves this soup…and after about an hour I found all these ingredients neatly chopped, cubed and sliced. Voila!

I simply added all but potatoes in a large sauce pan, covered generously with water and added 4 beef cubes and a few whole black peppers. Let it simmer for 20  minutes. Then added mild italian sausage (you can make it hot too, or use wieners or frankfurters) in small “balls” and the cubed potatoes. Let it cook again for about 15-20 minutes until the potatoes were ready, and tasted it off with some salt and a few drops of Tabasco.

The result is a really tasty and soul warming soup that you can eat with an open-faced cheese sandwich. Delicious, and even better the next day if you don’t finish it up. A really simple mood raising dinner in about an hour. And if you can trick another family member to do the peeling, slicing and cubing, you’ll just need to do the creative cooking – throwing it all together. Doing the prep together is fun too, just don’t do fencing with the kitchen knives. Then you  just watch the pot putter and soon you’ll enjoy some food for both the body and soul.